A network provides the infrastructure that enables computers, servers, wireless devices, storage devices, peripheral devices, etc. coupled to the network to communicate and exchange data over the network.
As demand grows for networks to become faster, more reliable, and more versatile, network hardware, such as hubs, switches, routers, access servers, etc. are implemented to meet specific network demands. These hardware devices are used to facilitate the processing and transmission of data over the network. Configuring, managing, and administering large, complex networks, each with its own different, unique set of interconnected network devices, is becoming quite a difficult task.
In order to help network administrators monitor and run the network smoothly and efficiently, network management software have been developed. The network management software is typically installed and run on a server coupled to the network. Its purpose is to help network administrators control, plan, allocate, deploy, coordinate, monitor and administer the network on a day-to-day basis. Functions such as configuration management, security, fault management, performance management, and accounting are often performed by network administrators using network management software.
In the past, network management software was text based. Commands were entered by typing instructions into a command line interface. Network performance data was displayed in a rather archaic and disorganized manner on a display. It was difficult and cumbersome to interpret displayed data and enter commands based thereon, and it also required expert knowledge to operate.
In response, network management software developers have added graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to make it easier for network administrators to interface with the network management software. But even with GUIs, there exists too much relevant network data to fit onto a display. Consequently, GUIs typically implement scroll bars, whereby network administrators can scroll up and down a displayed list of items of interest. The list would typically be organized in a hierarchical tree structure.
However, scrolling up and down to find a specific item from a long list of items can be tedious. And after a network administrator locates an item, he or she must then manually select or highlight that item before operations can be performed on that item. Oftentimes, network administrators would be required to find items that fit a particular criteria or characteristic. Having to manually find each of the items is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, a network administrator may inadvertently miss an important item or click on an incorrect item. This can lead to serious security problems, cause the network to run inefficiently, or even result in network errors. Furthermore, it may be difficult or impossible to tell from the list whether an item meets or fits a particular criteria or characteristic. The network administrator may have to cross-index items in the list to a database containing known information regarding the network and user devices. Thus, hunting for, finding, and selecting items of interest in a network management GUI can be a time-consuming, frustrating, and error-prone experience for network administrators.